NHRA Drag Racing Drivers - Out With The Old, In With The New

Two years before The Final Strike Tour that commemorated Don Prudhomme's retirement as a driver, The Snake had stated, "The corporate world doesn't want 60-year-old guys driving these cars." Prudhomme was still at the top of his game, but when he hung up his helmet, he never looked back.

He named Larry Dixon Jr. as his replacement. Dixon promptly went out and added two Powerade titles to Prudhomme's rsum. Ironically enough, while Dixon still appears to be 15 years old, he's turned 40 and isn't that far from facing the same decision that pushed his mentor to the sidelines.

Prudhomme's fortunes actually improved after his retirement. In addition to Dixon, he's also fielding another older-than-he-appears driver, 38-year-old Tommy Johnson Jr., in a Funny Car.

The history of motorsports is rife with stories of grizzled veterans being replaced by fresh-faced kids who often find themselves friendless when they get to the track-until they start winning. There is certainly some truth to the idea that as some drivers get older they become less skilled due to physical deterioration. Whereas the youngest drivers seem completely fearless, older drivers are less likely to force their way into a corner as they did 20 years earlier. Maybe that's nothing more than having experienced enough pain from previous wrecks to want to avoid a repetition, and it might also be that they older they get, the better they can see the end of their careers coming, so they become risk averse to stretch things out as long as possible.

But, as Prudhomme realized, driver changes are often as much about marketing as they are about driving ability. For the last two decades, at least, the corporate world has placed ever more importance on appealing to the young and affluent. We see this in everything from the advertising on MTV to the sponsors in NHRA Powerade and NASCAR Nextel Cup racing. There are certainly exceptions to the rule, but by and large, young people rule America's spending habits. Daddy may hold the checkbook, but we all know when baby wants a new iPod or GTO, baby usually gets her way.

In the last few years the face of NASCAR has changed to reflect both marketing and racing interests. Mark Martin is pushing 50 and looks it. Sponsored by Viagra, Martin continues to be a fan favorite, but he was planning on retiring at the end of 2005-until a contract problem forced his replacement-29-year-old Jamie McMurray-to stick with Ganassi Racing. Other changes will see Rusty Wallace, 49, giving way to Kurt Busch, 29; Sterling Marlin, 48, stepping aside for David Stremme, 28; Michael Waltrip, 42, being replaced by Martin Truex, 25; and Bill Elliott, 49, losing his seat to Kasey Khane, 25.

Khane is an excellent example of how a sponsor tries to reach to a younger audience. He's featured in an Allstate commercial in which a carload of young female fans spot him walking behind a fence as they're parking their SUV. As they dreamily look him over, the car backs into a sign post, knocking it down on another car, and then the insurance pitch begins. Clearly, it's Khane's youthful good looks that provides the hook. Bill Elliott couldn't have been used in the same manner.

In addition to the changes that Prudhomme made to his operation, the most recent high-profile transition from a veteran to a youngster came in John Force Racing when his son-in-law and Rookie of the Year, Robert Hight, replaced 60-year-old Gary Densham in 2005. When the announcement came, hundreds of fans howled in protest with at least a modicum of justification. Along with the huge personal popularity the former schoolteacher had always enjoyed, Densham was no slouch on the track. Among his three final-round appearances in 2004 was a stunning "double" at Indy during which the cue ball-bald driver dominated the Skoal Showdown and U.S. Nationals.

While Force vehemently denies Ford had anything to do with his departure, many believe that Densham's appearance-let's face it, the guy looks his age-ultimately played a role in his being replaced.

"John wants to build toward the future," Densham says. "He's had pressure from one sponsor ... to put a younger person in the car. I'm very happy for Robert. He's a terrific young man and he's doing an excellent job. That eased a lot of the pain of being let go, because if John had hired a (Whit) Bazemore or a (Ron) Capps I probably would have been bitter. John and I have been friends for 30 years and we'll be friends for another 30.

Ironically, Densham's own son Steven, 23, now wants to race, but as his father says, "One week he's all about drag racing, and the next it's all about school. Only time will tell if he's focused enough. To do this properly you have to be virtually married to drag racing. Will Steven have that kind of dedication? I just don't know, but we'll find out in the next two or three years.

"I think I'm still good enough, but I'm probably not as good as I was 10 or 15 years ago," he adds in a statement reminiscent of a current Toby Keith song. "Of the younger guys, Robert Hight is the best."

"The bottom line is that nobody likes getting older, and I'm talking about me," says Force. "I've always been very supportive of Gary Densham, but I'm trying to grow my team for the future. One of the things that I have trouble with in the boardroom is trying to sell myself because of my age [57]. That's why I've brought Eric Medlen and now Robert Hight along.

"I love this racing, but I'm never going to let my ego stand in the way of building a better team. The thought of not driving scares me, but I'm also worried about bringing Eric, Robert, and my daughters along. We took two kids and threw 'em in the seat, but it worked because they knew the cars inside out. People ask me to do that with Ashley, but she doesn't understand the basics of the cars yet.

Ashley Force will make her debut in a Funny Car in 2007, with her two younger sisters already racing in Super Comp and looking to move up.

On the outside it appears that Hight was lucky to have married Force's daughter, Adria, but the reality is quite different. He was working for Force for three years before he and Adria hooked up. When he finally became a Road Warrior he got a chance behind the wheel. During 2004 he made at least 40 test runs, with no one providing more support than Densham. Admitting to often being overwhelmed by his father-in-law's personality, Hight says, "I can learn a lot about driving from him, but I can't do the other stuff.

"No one has helped me more than Gary Densham. With his being a schoolteacher, he really helped me learn how to drive. I've had a lot of people tell me they weren't happy about my taking over for him. I've tried to be respectful. Gary's been out here and done everything, and he still has lots of fans. Right now I can go over and ask him a question and he'll give me a straight answer. We still talk every week. He's my friend, and a good friend to the whole team."

Five-time Top Fuel titlist Joe Amato took himself out of the seat a few years ago, ostensibly because of an eye problem, but one that came about due to his advancing years. Reportedly at the "suggestion" of sponsor Budweiser, four-time champ Kenny Bernstein also stepped aside in favor of his son, Brandon, and there are dozens of others. Tim Wilkerson, driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Funny Car, is only 46, but his 17-year-old son is already chomping at the bit.

NHRA president Tom Compton has it right when he says, "The experienced drivers are really important to the sport. It's important to groom younger drivers to carry the torch well into the future. In fact, the more experienced drivers are the most easily recognized drivers out there, but 10 or 20 years from now we need that same recognition."

Hall of Famer Jim Dunn, who's raced for more than a half century, is candid about his own retirement as a driver. "Age got me. I couldn't keep my concentration going. I could still leave [the starting line] three times as good as anybody, but the fourth time they'd walk all over me.

"Sometimes the corporate world makes too many of these decisions. They say we don't sell enough product. They said Paul Newman was too old to sell Geritol. Well, after him, who is there in terms of youth versus age?" HRM